Archive for the ‘Forest’ Category

Regarding the Development (Regulated Trees) Amendment Bill, David Ridgway MP (Leader of the Opposition) said the Liberal Party did not support the bill in its present form, although he had not yet seen a number of its amendments. Read the rest of this entry »

With regard to the Development (Regulated Trees) Amendment Bill, Paul Holloway MP (Minister for Police) said he did not think it possible to get any legislation on significant trees that would satisfy everyone’s concerns. Read the rest of this entry »

Countries and companies will be paid to stop logging forests under a World Bank plan to establish a fund aimed at reshaping the fight against climate change, reported Mark Forbes in Jakarta for The Sydney Morning Herald (25/9/2007, p.10). Read the rest of this entry »

Australian of the Year Dr Flannery gave an address in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, calling on industrialised nations buy credits he would sell on behalf of PNG villages, reported The Canberra Times (21/8/2007, p. 2). Read the rest of this entry »

The APEC summit will help set the stage for the UN climate change conference in Bali in December by putting the Kyoto protocol to one side “and just talking about the Earth”, according to Indonesia’s Environment Minister, reported The Australian (4/9/2007, p.7). Read the rest of this entry »

Preference negotiations be­tween Labor and the Greens, which could have a significant im­pact on the federal election, were growing increasingly fractious, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (11/9/2007, p.6). Read the rest of this entry »

According to Patrick Durkin in The Australian Financial Review (17/9/2007, p.8), the Australian Taxation Office’s push to outlaw tax deductions for agricultural investment schemes had suffered a setback after a court ruled they could constitute a “serious commercial venture”. Read the rest of this entry »

A reduction of up to 20 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions per year through the implementation of the government’s vegetation management policy was the single biggest contribution to Australia’s climate change to date, said Queensland’s Minister for Natural Resources and Water, C A Wallace, in the Queensland Parliament on 22 August 2007.

Regulation amends fees: “This regulation,” Wallace said, “which the opposition has requested be not supported, amends fees made under 11 acts that are administered by my portfolio. These are the:

• Acquisition of Land Act 1967;

• Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980;

• Foreign Ownership of Land Register Act 1988;

• Land Act 1994;

• Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002;

• Land Title Act 1994;

• Surveyors Act 2003;

• Valuation of Land Act 1944;

• Valuers Registration Act 1992;

• Vegetation Management Act 1999; and

• Water Act 2000.”

Queensland a leader in climate change management: Wallace said that his department’s implementation of the government’s vegetation management policy, including the end of broadscale land clearing in Queensland on 31 December 2006, had resulted in a reduction of up to 20 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions per year in the first target period to 2012 of global greenhouse emissions accounting. “This is the single biggest contribution to Australia’s climate change to date and places Queensland at the front of the field in response to climate change. It is a shame,” lamented the Minister, “that the begrudging present tenant of The Lodge in Canberra could not even acknowledge this major contribution by Queensland to Australia’s achievement of greenhouse gas reductions in line with Kyoto.”

Reference: CA Wallace, Minister for Natural Resources and Water and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland, Member for Thuringowa, Records of Proceedings, First session of the Fifty-Second Parliament, Queensland, 22 August 2007.

A new program would use satellite imagery linked to ground work to help researchers observe, map and understand changes to Queensland’s environment, announced Queensland’s Minister for Natural Resources and Water C A Wallace in the Queensland Parliament on 23 August 2007.

Water quality and spread of weeds: “The Queensland government is committed to looking after the state’s vast land, vegetation and water resources,” Wallace said. “Remote sensing technology is a key tool in our approach to sustainable resource management. Today I am pleased to announce that the Department of Natural Resources and Water and the University of Queensland have joined forces to create the most advanced remote sensing program of its kind in Australia. The program has been designed to more effectively monitor the state’s natural environment. The new program will use satellite imagery linked to ground work to help researchers observe, map and understand changes to Queensland’s environment, including water quality and the spread of weeds.”

Two projects: ” Scientists from my department and UQ, as well as students from UQ’s Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Science, will take part in the program, which will be based at UQ’s St Lucia campus,” the Minister said. “Researchers will use high-resolution satellite imagery to assess and monitor wildlife habitats and vegetation that filter and improve water quality. Another project will use state-of-the-art satellite sensors to map the extent and spread of weeds such as prickly acacia, rubber vine and lantana. This research will link closely with the government’s Blueprint for the Bush program.”

Joint project covers most of east coast: “This innovative partnership will create a hub of expertise for research using remote sensing by sharing technical expertise, resources and training opportunities,” said Wallace. “The Department of Natural Resources and Water has used remote sensing for years to assist in the use of monitoring land clearing. Under this new program, the Department of Natural Resources and Water will join its resources with UQ, which is recognised as a national and international leader in remote-sensing education and research. The agreement will bring together skilled researchers, major computing capacity and data covering most of Australia’s east coast. This partnership is another example of the Smart State teaming up with our top universities so Queensland can lead the country in research and development.”

Reference: CA Wallace, Minister for Natural Resources and Water and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland, Member for Thuringowa, Records of Proceedings, First session of the Fifty-Second Parliament, Queensland, 23 August 2007.